Finding Each Other
by MissAndie
Summary: Annabelle loves Gale. Gale loves Katniss. Anna feels that nothing can ever change that.
1. Chapter 1

**My first ****_The Hunger Games_**** fan fiction. Reviews - praise & criticism - are welcome. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I only own Annabelle, the rest is Suzanne Collins'.**

* * *

I watch them laugh together as they disappeared into the Hob, game bags in their hands. Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne. Best friends. Both the main providers for their families. Both from the Seam. Neither would associate themselves with me. Ever.

I may live in the merchant part of District Twelve, but we're almost as poor as those in the Seam. At sixteen years old, I support my family in any way, shape or form. Well, what's left of my family. My little brothers, Alex, who is barely nine years old, and Danny, who has just reached eleven. My wheelchair-bound father, just turned forty-five. They can't do much.

My mother taught me how to use a knife before she died four years ago. I have perfect aim with any kind of knife, can hit anything within a reasonable distance. I use my skills to provide for my family. I often sneak out of the District, out into the woods, to find animals that can be killed and cooked. Every so often, we do sell something from our little candy store. The only one in the District, the one that people rarely buy from. Who needs candy, right? People have more important things to buy.

I make sure to never come across Katniss or Gale in the woods. They don't know anything about me, would probably make fun of me for being in the woods. They don't know what I can do with a blade, what I do for my family. They would assume that, at sixteen and a part of the merchant area, my name would only be in the Reaping bowl a total of five times, the mandatory slips.

No. I have to apply for tessera on top of everything else, so that adds another sixteen _Annabelle Rosa_ slips from the past four years, on top of the five mandatory ones. Twenty-one times, my name is in that bowl.

So, if I run into a man-made snare, or tell-tale signs that someone else is walking around, then I go the opposite way. I trade in the Hob when I know they're not in there. I don't sell to Peacekeepers, except Darius. Darius is okay.

I have some friends at school, but only one close friend. Peeta Mellark. He's the only one who knows everything, absolutely everything about me. I'm the only one who knows everything about him. His infatuation with Katniss. How I really feel about Gale. We can't tell anyone else those things. Who would understand?

So, we love them from afar.

* * *

District Twelve holds its breath as Effie Trinket dips her perfectly manicured hand into the first bowl. Her hand swishes around in there for a few moments, before finally pulling a slip of paper out. The time it takes for her to walk back to the microphone and open the slip seemed like eternity.

"Primrose Everdeen!" She calls out cheerfully. Silence. Not Prim. Adorable, sweet little Prim. Anyone but Prim. She slowly starts making the trek up to the stage, tucking in the back of her blouse as she goes.

"Prim!" Someone screams. Everyone's attentions turn to Katniss, fighting against the Peacekeepers as she tries to reach her sister. "Prim!"

"Katniss!" Prim calls back, but she's barely heard as Katniss yells,

"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!" Silence again as she climbs the stairs onto the stage. Gale has to carry a screaming Prim away, and the pure pain on his face as he does so makes my heart ache.

There's barely any time for me to pray for the well-being of either Peeta or Gale before Effie Trinket reads out the name on the slip from the boy's bowl: Peeta. My heart feels like it's stopped. Not Peeta.

He silently takes his place on the stage, and nobody volunteers for him. I would, if only I could. But of course I can't. Wrong gender, obviously. They shake hands, and are escorted into the Justice Building.

"I'm going to say goodbye to Peeta," I tell my father, who nods and beckons for my brothers to go home with him. He's relieved that I wasn't picked, but he knows how close Peeta and I are.

I awkwardly wait in line to say my goodbyes, absently fiddling with the hem of my dress. It's a light, mint green, the overlay of the skirt made of a chiffon material. The top is a smooth material, with short sleeves and a modest cut. It was my mother's dress.

I snap to attention when the door opens and Peeta's family walks out, looking sombre. The Peacekeeper gestures for me to go inside, and I greet Peeta with a tight embrace. I can feel his tears soaking through the shoulder of my dress, can feel his body convulsing with his silent sobs.

"Peeta, look at me," I say, pulling away.

"I can't win," he whispers. "She can. I've got no hope."

"Try," I plead. "Do whatever you can. Try to come home." Peeta says nothing, and I pull him back into my arms. Saying goodbye to your best friend under such circumstances is one of the hardest things.

All too soon, the door opens and I'm being pulled away from him.

"Try, Peeta!" I call.

"I will, Anna!" He replies, and the door is slammed in my face. As I leave the Justice Building, I see Gale walking with his family. His mother, Hazelle, seems to be comforting him. The people of District Twelve have dispersed, many to celebrate. The Everdeens and Mellarks will close their shutters and shut themselves off from the rest of us. The Hawthornes, too, and the Rosas. My family will not be celebrating.

I walk a few steps behind Gale and his family through the Town Square, and as he turns off in the direction of the Seam he glances behind him, at the Justice Building. Then his eyes travel downwards, and meet mine.


	2. Chapter 2

Danny jumps onto my lap, Alex onto my fathers, as we settle down in the living room in front of the television. The Tribute Parade is about to start, and Caesar Flickerman is beside himself with excitement as he commentates. This year, the powder-blue colour of his eyelids and lips matches his signature midnight blue suit.

"He doesn't look so scary this year," Alex comments innocently. I laugh.

"That's very true," I agree. The boys weren't fond of Caesar's choice of crimson make-up last year.

"Look, Peeta's on fire!" Danny quips, pointing. Sure enough, right at the back of the Tribute chariot line, our tributes are on fire. Literally. Peeta and Katniss look dazzling in black outfits and headwear with bright, orange flames dancing off of them. They wave, smile and even blow kisses to the crowd, attracting all of the attention of the Capitol audience that surrounds them.

"Are they holding hands?" My father points out. I look closer at the screen, and realise that they are.

"I've never seen anyone do that before," I say.

"Nobody has ever done it before," he replies. A knot starts to form in my stomach. Tributes holding hands, tributes that are seemingly united... What kind of attention will that attract from the people who govern Panem?

"Bedtime, boys," my father says. Alex and Danny both jump down and race each other to our room. "You should go, too, Anna," he adds, looking me in the eye. "You're exhausted."

"I'm fine," I say.

"Anna, don't argue with me," my father says firmly. "You've been doing so much lately, what with helping Peeta's family and trying to help Katniss' family."

"Someone has to," I say. "We both know that it's only Gale Hawthorne trying to help Prim and Mrs Everdeen, and he's got his own family to support."

"So have you."

"There are more of them." My father sighs.

"I don't understand why you feel obligated to help the Everdeens," he says. "You and Katniss weren't even friends."

"So?"

"So why are you choosing to wear yourself down for someone you've never spoken to?"

I don't answer. I can't. I can't put into words my reasons for trying to help a family I rarely associate with. I don't even know myself.

So I shrug, and stand up.

"Goodnight, Dad," I say, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. I walk briskly to the room I share with the boys. They are already in their pyjamas, and quickly dive into bed when I enter the room. I smile.

"All done, boys?" I ask.

"Yes, Anna," they reply in unison. I raise an eyebrow as their heads poke cheekily out from underneath their covers.

"Teeth done?" Silence for a moment before they both jump up and run to the bathroom. I smile and shake my head, walking over to my own bed in the corner of the room. I lift up my pillow and pull out the cotton nightgown that used to belong to my mother. I change quickly, pulling the nightgown over my body just as Danny and Alex race back in.

"All done, Anna!" They say, showing me their teeth. I laugh and ruffle their hair.

"Into bed then," I say. They climb into bed, suddenly yawning and rubbing their eyes. I tuck the covers around the two of them and lean down to give them both a goodnight kiss.

"Goodnight, Anna," they mumble sleepily, snuggling down and closing their eyes.

"Goodnight, boys," I whisper. I blow out the candles in our room and climb into bed, pulling the blanket right up to my chin. I can hear my father moving around, and it doesn't take him long to go to bed.

I don't know how long I lay there, my green eyes staring unseeingly into the darkness. I listen to Danny's heavy breathing, to Alex's light snoring. I listen to the silence that has settled onto District Twelve as everyone seeks the peace that only sleep can offer.

I wonder what Gale is doing. Is he asleep? Are his brothers and sister? His mother? Does Gale share a room with his brothers, and his mother with his sister? I wonder whether he dreams. I wonder if he lies awake at night, thinking about tomorrow. I wonder if he's thinking about Katniss, about the Tribute Parade.

Eventually, sleep comes, and so do the dreams. My father comes in, looking younger than I've ever seen him. He's not in a wheelchair. My brothers follow, jumping everywhere with excitement.

Then my mother. She floats in wearing a dress that seems to me that it's made out of sunlight, with golden tones rippling across the fabric and light shining from it. Her dark hair falls in careless waves down her back, her green eyes sparkle, and her pink lips curve up in a radiant smile.

I'm stood in my cotton nightgown, with my dark blonde hair pulled up messily in a bun, watching everyone around me. I watch my parents reunite, I watch them embrace my brothers, and I watch them turn to me, their arms outstretched. I run into them, and for the first time in three years I feel content, happy, and safe.

But then I'm awake, sitting bolt upright in my bed. Everyone is still asleep, but I can see the first light of dawn seeping in through the window. Ignoring the strong pangs of longing in my chest, I quietly get out of bed and get ready to go hunting.

As soon as I'm dressed, I pick up an old leather bag and slip out of the house. I make my way to a hole in the fence that surrounds District Twelve. I slip through it and walk through the woods, stepping over sticks and tree roots as I go. I reach a small pond that I found a few weeks back, and sit down on a large rock that's next to it.

I drop the bag, and my head falls into my hands. The longing for my mother is renewed, the pain of losing her made fresh in my heart. Tears roll down my cheeks, and my body convulses slightly as I sob.

"You shouldn't be out here," a hard voice startles me and I jump up, instinctively grabbing my knife and whirling around to face the owner. My breath catches in my throat as grey eyes lock with mine, and I swear that my heart is going to explode.

Gale.


End file.
